JOHN CHAPTER 11

I) [Jn 11:25]:

(v. 25) "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

A) JESUS DECLARES HE IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE - HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM EVEN THOUGH HE MAY DIE HE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY

"eipen autE ..ho iEsous egO eimi hE .anastasis ......kai ..hE zOE ho ..pisteuOn

"said ..to her .....Jesus, ..I .....am ...the resurrection and the life ...the one believing

................................................................................................................ ....he who believes

.....................................................................................................................V_PAPNSM

eis eme .kan ..............apothanE ..zEsetai

in .Me ..even though he may die he will live

.......................................................V_FMI3S

Jesus declares that He is the resurrection and the life, implying eternal life when it is tied to the resurrection. Then He stipulates that he who believes, Gk. "ho pisteuOn", lit., the believing one, a nominative participle, a noun with a moment of faith in view, will live eternally - a future promise. Notice that the one who becomes the believing one is then declared that he will live eternally, with no further stipulation as to anything else nor an ongoing believing to secure the future promise of living eternally.

II) [Jn 11:26]:

(v. 26) and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

kai .pas ....ho zOn ..........kai ...pisteuOn .eis eme .ou ..mE apothanE eis ..ton aiOna

and every .....one living .and ..believing .in .Me ...not not .shall die ..into the age

...................................................one believing..........shall never ever die

...................................................V_PAPNSM

pisteueis ..........touto"

Do you believe this?"

V_PAI2S

A) WHOEVER IS THE BELIEVER - A MOMENT OF FAITH IN VIEW - IS REPEATED AS THE REQUIREMENT FOR ETERNAL LIFE. THE QUESTION: DO YOU BELIEVE ALSO HAS IN VIEW A MOMENT OF FAITH RESULTING IN A CONDITION OF NEVER DYING, I.E., ETERNAL LIFE

Whoever is the believer, a moment of faith alone in Christ alone is in view, is repeated as the requirement for the future promise of having eternal life. The question, "Do you believe this?" also has in view a moment of faith implying that a moment of faith in Jesus will result in the future promise of never dying, i.e., eternal life.

"Whoever...believes" = Gk, "Pas... pisteuOn" = Lit. everyone believing is a nominative participle, i.e. a noun, whoever is the believer, portraying a moment of faith in Jesus.

"Do you believe this?" = Gk, "Pisteuis touto", is a present tense question which also portrays a moment of faith in Jesus. Notice that the present tense has no adverbial or contextual qualifiers to portray anything but a moment of faith resulting in the promise of eternal life. Continuous faith is not in view.

III) [Jn 11:27]:

(v. 27) 'Yes, Lord,' she told him, 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.' "

legei ......autO .....nai ..kurie egO pepisteuka .....hoti su ...ei ...ho christos ho huios

She says to Him, .yes, .Lord, I .....have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God

.........................................................V_XAI1S

tou theou ho ..........eis ....ton kosmon erchomenos"

the God ...the One .into .the world ....to come"

A)

Jesus has asked Martha if she believes in Him, (v. 26). The verb, 'Do you believe' is in the present tense with no adverbial or contextual qualifiers to portray anything but a moment of faith resulting in the promise of eternal life. Continuous faith is not in view. This corroborates the previous verse which has in view, a moment of faith, not an ongoing faith. She will live forever, i.e., have eternal life if she believes or has believed in Jesus in a moment of time.

On the other hand, Martha's answer is in the perfect tense:

"I have believed", i.e., she has believed with ongoing faith in the present, i.e., she has believed and believes now in Jesus. It is evident that her moment of faith to become the believing one is sufficient to secure eternal life from the context of the two previous verses. Her answer, which is in the perfect tense goes beyond the moment of faith stipulated as resulting in the future promise of eternal life. She declares an ongoing faith in Jesus. However it is incorrect and illogical to conclude from this that an ongoing faith is required for eternal life because the requirement stipulated by the Lord Himself was simply to become the believing one, not to have an ongoing faith. The fact that Martha exceeded the requirement by continuing to believe does not establish that an ongoing faith is required to have eternal life. The point of logic here is that how someone responds to a stipulation to receive a benefit does not dictate what that stipulation is. If someone responds to our Lord's stipulation with attempting to keep the Mosaic Law, that would not change what the Lord declared as what one must do to have eternal life.